Rehoboth Board of Selectmen discuss upcoming town meetings

The Board of Selectmen met with Town Moderator William Cute and Town Clerk Kathleen Conti at Monday’s meeting to discuss the upcoming Special and Annual Town Meetings.

By Christopher Nichols

The Taunton Daily Gazette, Taunton, MA

By Christopher Nichols

Posted May. 8, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated May 8, 2012 at 8:01 AM

By Christopher Nichols

Posted May. 8, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated May 8, 2012 at 8:01 AM

Rehoboth

» Social News

The Board of Selectmen met with Town Moderator William Cute and Town Clerk Kathleen Conti at Monday’s meeting to discuss the upcoming Special and Annual Town Meetings.

The Special Town Meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School and will cover six Articles.

“On paper anyway, it looks like the articles on the Special Town Meeting should be pretty easy going,” Cute said.

All of the Articles will be decided by a majority vote, except Article 5 — sale/lease of 295 Winthrop St. — which requires a 2/3 majority to pass.

Following a brief recess after the Special Town Meeting, the Annual Town Meeting will begin and will cover 23 Articles.

If a second day is needed to finish the business for the Annual Town Meeting, Cute announced that the meeting will reconvene on May 21 at 7 p.m. at the same location.

For the Annual Town Meeting, in addition to discussing the fiscal year 2013 budget, Cute said he expects the most discussion on Articles 5 and 6.

Article 5, as printed in the Warrant, asks the town to vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to enter into a lease agreement to turn the old Anawan School, 53 Bay State Road, into affordable senior housing. Town Administrator Jeff Ritter said this Article would be amended for Town Meeting to limit its scope and see if voters will authorize a feasibility study on the property.

Article 6 is to see if voters will approve a debt exclusion to acquire 340 Anawan St. for the purposes of a new Town Hall. The acquisition and renovation of the building is estimated to cost $1.8 million.

The Finance Committee recently voted to recommend disapproval of both Articles.

The selectmen said they will be giving a presentation on the current and proposed new Town Hall at the Town Meeting, and will go over in detail the finances.

Selectman Susan Pimental said the property at 340 Anawan St. has an offered price of $1.2 million and about $600,000 is estimated for renovations. About half of that $600,000 will go towards an elevator, handicapped accessible bathrooms and entrances, and a new staircase — in accordance with building codes for public buildings. The remaining $300,000 will go towards finish work.

Pimental also said the 20-year debt exclusion will cost taxpayers about $9 per year per $100,000 of home valuation. She also noted that a previous debt exclusion for the Gladys L. Hurrell Senior Center — costing about $8 per year per $100,000 of home valuation — will be paid off in 2017.

Chapter 90 requests

With $1.2 million in Chapter 90 state funding prior to Monday’s meeting — according to Selectman Michael Costello — the selectmen also approved requests to purchase a new street sweeper for $174,385 and for roadway stone sealing for $152,557.20.

Costello also said that requests are paid with state Chapter 90 money and will not cost anything for the town.

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The stone sealing will seal 5.5 miles of new road in town that were paved last year, and the new street sweeper will replace the town’s current sweeper from 1985 that cost $27,000 to repair last year, according to Costello.